Congress Inches Closer to Avoiding Government Shutdown

Congress inched closer to avoiding a government shutdown with the announcement of a $1.1 trillion spending measure that must be passed before funding runs out Thursday.

The funding agreement, reached by Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., and Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., is informally referred to as the "CRomnibus" - part continuing resolution and part omnibus. It will include 11 spending measures to fund the majority of the government through September 2015.

The spending measure will include funding to fight ISIS and Ebola, but will separate funding for the Department of Homeland Security, which is responsible for carrying out many activities related to immigration.

The DHS will be funded with a short-term continuing resolution at current spending levels through Feb. 27, allowing for lawmakers to prolong a debate on how to deal with President Obama's executive immigration action.

“This bill fulfills our constitutional duty to fund the government, preventing damage from shutdown politics that are bad for the economy, cost jobs and hurt middle class families," Mikulski and Rogers said in a statement on Tuesday. "While not everyone got everything they wanted, such compromises must be made in a divided government. These are the tough choices that we must make to govern responsibly and do what the American people sent us here to do."

The House is expected to vote on the spending measure on Thursday, giving the Senate little time to approve the measure itself.

Congressional sources have indicated that lawmakers may need to pass a separate measure to keep the government funded for a few days while the larger measure received approval from both chambers of Congress and President Obama.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said there is a "very good chance" the Senate will be in session over the weekend finishing up its to-do list, which includes approving the spending measure, voting on defense authorization, and confirming nominees Democrats hope to push through before Republicans take control of the Senate.

"Maybe we’ll have to work the weekend and maybe even work next week," Reid said. "I mean, I know that’s tough duty for everybody, but we may have to do that."